


What's the Point of Swords?

by glamorouscarnation



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: No Plot/Plotless, Other, Swordfighting, Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24033910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glamorouscarnation/pseuds/glamorouscarnation
Summary: Juno Steel arrives at an abandoned blacksmith workshop for... some reason. The details aren't important. Anyway, swordfighting ensues.
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Comments: 7
Kudos: 25





	What's the Point of Swords?

"Remind me why I'm in an abandoned smithy again?" I muttered into my comms as I stepped into the darkened hall. 

"I told ya, Boss! The coordinates sent you here to-" Rita's voice fizzled out. I checked my screen. Shit, no signal. Guess I was going in alone.

I couldn't tell if the room was huge, or if the ceilings were just so high it made the room seem gigantic by comparison. Either way, I wasn't excited to scope the whole place out. The room was filled with a variety of metal ingots and tools, from swords to daggers to hammers. I could swear there were still vaguely glowing embers, but the building was covered in a thick layer of dust from years of disuse, so I doubted it. Except....

There were a few patches of clean flooring among the dust and debris, almost like footprints. Hm, perhaps this was a genuine lead after all. I followed the patches, careful to avoid the few pieces of rotten wood that had fallen from the rafters above. I reached for my flashlight, but thought better of it. Whether human or animal, friend or foe, they could easily get spooked by a bright light.

What's even the point of making these tools, anyway? Blasters were invented decades ago, and most farming equipment was automated. I guess that would explain the... abandonedness of the place. Maybe gating would still be-

My train of thought was cut off by a small clatter from my left, towards the main forge. I tired to squint through the darkness, but either whatever moved had sense enough to go still, or my eyes needed to be reexamined. Regardless, I headed towards the noise. No sense in trying to be sneaky. There were barely any things to hide behind, and I wasn't exactly known for my stealth.

As I got closer, I heard another sound, metal against metal. I raised my blaster towards the noise, but kept advancing. Finally, I could see a silhouette. Tall, slender, flat ass. In the dark, I couldn't tell how close I was getting to them, but, apparently, I got too close. They raised a sword, and struck my blaster right out of my hands. Huh. I guess that's why blacksmiths still make weapons. 

My blaster fired right as it hit the ground, and I got a good look at his face. Bright eyes, sharp mouth with sharp teeth curved into a sharp smirk, and almost absurdly fluffy hair. If I wasn't in immediate physical danger I would have liked to look at it for a while.

He started to advance, sword pointed at my chest, and I had no choice but to back up, careful not to trip, or take my eyes off his silhouette. I finally reached the left side wall, back against the forge. The bricks pierced against my spine, but it was better than the alternative.

The man struck, and I ducked out of the way just in time, and the sword crashed against the coals, setting them alight. This time, I could see his face for more than a few seconds, and he looked... amused?

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice echoing along the high walls of the room.

"I could ask you the same question," he replied coolly, not taking his eyes off me.

"Juno Steel, private eye."

"Well-" he said, and he had me pinned against the wall again. He used the tip of the sword to gently push my chin upward, forcing me to look him in the eye- " _detective._ "

His eyes glinted with the firelight, turning the hazel a dark amber. I took one moment to admire them before I slipped out from underneath the hold of his sword and grabbed one of my own. It was considerably heavier than I expected, which made me almost drop it. Still, I steadied my grip with both hands on the hilt, and whirled back towards him.

After a few strikes, it was immediately obvious he had a lot of practice with swords, and I had... less than that. Each strike of metal to metal had the impact rattling me through my arms and all the way to my teeth. They don't show you that part on streams. I managed to block, or, parry, or, something, a good number of times, but I was quickly losing ground.

"Where did you," I paused, partly for the drama but mostly because I was out of breath, "learn to swordfight?"

"Oh, you know, just picked it up. Perhaps it was my sharp wit." His smile only seemed to get wider as I barely sidestepped from his latest swing. 

I quickly looked behind me, and I realized he was unintentionally backing me towards a side exit. This was my chance. I gave one last strike to his blade, which did nothing to faze him, and bolted toward the door, bashing it closed with the hilt of my sword on the way out. No time to get my blaster, which was a shame, but it was a losing battle. I didn't let myself catch my breath until I had fully regained signal and called Rita to come get me.

Later that night, I couldn't stop pacing. The investigation was more or less a bust and, even more infuriating, I couldn't get that man's face out of my head. His teeth, his smile... Who was he?


End file.
